Method for cleaning articles of clothing and the like



' June 23, 1936.4 l.. ANGELUs Er Al. A 2,044,823

METHOD FOR CLEANING ARTICLES OF CLOTHING AND THE LIKE Filed oct. 16, 195s INVENT'ORS v gabs* e ud', l'

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E ATRNEY? reigned .mme 23, 193e iVmTHOD FOR CLEANING ARTICLES 0F' CLOTHING AND THE LIKE Louis Angelus, New York. and Daniel Lawrence Baylis, Long Island, N. Y.; said Baylis assignor to said Angelus Application October 16, 1933, Serial No. 693,758

1 Claim.

Our present invention relates generally to the cleaning art, and has particular reference to an improved method for cleaning such things as articles of clothing or the like.

The type of cleaning method4 to which our invention is primarily directed is of the character which effects a so-called dry cleaning, customarily accomplished by subjecting the articles to be cleaned to a suitable chemical cleaning fluid.

Before proceeding to describe the features of our present invention, we will state that in the practice of the dry cleaning art it is customary to provide a work chamber or casing which is adapted to contain a mass or bodyof the selected cleaning fluid 'and into which the articles to be cleaned may be placed so as to be' subjected t0 the action of such fluid. Usually, the casing or shell is constructed to 'accommodate a body of the cleaning fluid in the lower part thereof, and it is provided with apparatus and parts for permitting the articles to be immersed into the body of fluid, subjected to agitation, withdrawn from the fluid, and finally dried by centrifugal action.

More particularly, the general type of apparatus to which reference has been made includes a basket or container which is mounted for rotation around a vertical axis, and also for vertical reciprocation along the axis. The main driving is usually, though not necessarily, providedr by means of a suitable electric motor or the like, and the movements of the basket are generally accomplished by suitable mechanism which includes a plunger constructed and arranged to permit of vertical reciprocation 'thereof for agitation purposes, and to permit of a rotation thereof when the basket is to be subjected to rotation. Means are usually provided for disconnecting the plunger from the basket at desired intervals, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

It isa general object of our invention to provide an improved method whereby articles may be more satisfactorily and more efficiently cleaned, the method being preferably carried out by means of an apparatus of the foregoing character.

The advantages of our present improved method will be more fully appreciated when it is borne in mind that the cleaning fluid to which the articles are subjected necessarily dissolves and withdraws unto itself a large quantity of dirt and impurities. Attempts have heretofore been made to divest'the fluid of these impurities by means of a circulatory system which includes a filtering device. In a large measure, a filtering system of this general character is satisfactory and it maintains the fluid in substantially purified condition.

A factor which has heretofore been overlooked however, liesin the tendency of impurities to seek the surface of the body of fluid in the casing and to float upon this surface. Accordingly, while the main body of cleaning fluid may be substantially pure by virtue of the filtering action, unsatisfactory cleaning has nevertheless been all too frequently effected. We have` discovered that, to a large extent, the unsatisfactory results heretofore encountered are due to the impurities which the ordinary circulatory system does not affect, and which are permitted to remain in a floating condition upon the surface of the body of fluid. We have found that the general mode of operation of cleaning devices of this sort results in imparting to even Asmall amounts of these floating impurities a unique and unusually potent ability to impair the efficiency with which the articles are cleaned. In other words, it is the up-and-down movement of the articles into and out of the cleaning fluid which gives even small quantities of floating impurities a remarkable and highly undesirable opportunity to work their way into the fibers lof the articles.

Our present invention has particular reference to an improved method whereby the foregoing causes of many unfavdrable results, heretofore frequently encountered, are effectively counteracted.

Our improved method provides for an effective and novel type of rinsing action as and when the articles are Withdrawn from the main cleaning fluid, any floating dirt and dust particles thus being left in the main body of fluid in the body of the chamber.

Briefly, our invention resides in a new and improved method of subjecting articles to a cleaning fluid, whereby the articles are initially submersed into a main body of fluid; then subjected to the rinsing action of clean filtered fluid out of contact with the main body of fluid; and finally dried by centrifugal means; all of these procedural steps being preferably accomplished coincidentally with a continuous circulation of the fluid in a single circulatory system, whereby the washing and the rinsing action are obtained from a single original quantity of uid.

We achieve the foregoing objects, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be W pointed out, in the manner illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is an elevational side view of a simple form of apparatus with which our present invention may be practiced;

Figure 2 is a. diagrammatic view showing the relationship of parts during the main washing operation;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, illustrating the rinsing effect of our present method;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, during the extracting or drying procedure; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figures 2, 3, and 4, illustrating a slightly modified arrangement.

While much of the driving and control mechanism, which forms no part of our present invention, has been omitted from the drawing, its general arrangement and mode of operation will be clear to those skilled in the art from the general illustrations contained herein and from the description hereinafter to be given.

In Figure 1, We have shown a cylindrical casing or work chamber or shell I0 which is mounted in a suitable manner in a substantially vertical position. This shell is usually provided with a hinged cover II to permit access to the interior thereof when the articles are placed into the casing or withdrawn therefrom. An electric lamp I2 is preferably mounted in association with the top wall of the casing, and in combination with a window of suitable character to permit the interior of the casing to be under the constant supervision of the operator while it is operated.

The apparatus includes a filtering device which we have illustrated generally by the reference numeral I3 and which may be of any suitable character. A conduit I4 communicates with the fluid in the lower portion of the casing I0 and is adapted to lead the fluid to a circulating pump I5 from which the' fluid enters the filter I3. From the latter, the fluid passes preferably through a precooler I6, and thence through an inlet conduit I'I, and back to the casing I0. Valves I8 and I9 are preferably arranged in association with the conduits I4 and Il.

The inlet conduit I 'I communicates with the casing I0 at an upper portion thereof, or, at least, at a portion which permits the articles in the casing I0 to be subjected to the filtered fluid from the conduit I'I during and after the main washing operation.

In Figures 2, 3, and 4, we have diagrammatically indicated the arrangement and mode of operation of the interior parts of the apparatus. The basket 20 is usually provided with perforations or holes, and is mounted upon an axis 2| which is substantially coincident with the axis of the casing ID. The basket 20 is adapted to be'shifted or adjusted in a vertical manner from substantially the position shown in Figure 2 to substantially the raised or withdrawn position shown in Figures 3 and 4. 'I'hisraising andlowering of the basket 2D may be accomplished by any suitable mechanism, and is usually controlled by a foot pedal 22 or the like. By referring to Figures 2, 3, and 4, it will be noted that the basket 20 is adapted to be shifted or adjusted to selectively lower it into the main body of fluid 23 or to raise it above the level of said fluid, as indicated in Figures 3 and 4. Under certain circumstances, it may be desirable to lower the level of the body of fluid 23 during the time that the basket 20 is raised into its withdrawn position. This may be accomplished by other apparatus as may be necessary to convert the rotative movement of the motor into reciprocating movements.

A rotative movement of the plunger is preferably provided for, also, where the plunger itself is to serve as the medium through which the basket 20 is rotated. Where such an arrangement is used, suitable means is provided for connecting and disconnecting the plunger from the basket 20. For example, the exteriorly accessible handle 25 may be used for adjusting or loosening the screw or similar device in the interior of the casing for effecting a connection or disconnection of the plunger from the basket 20.

In accordance with our present invention, the inlet conduit I'I communicates with the interior of the casing I0 at a point and in a manner adapted to subject the articles in the basket 20 to the action of the filtered fiuid when the basket 20 is in the raised or withdrawn position of Figures 3 and 4. More particularly, We provide a construction whereby the inlet conduit I1 terminates in a spraying device arranged above the level of the raised basket 20. We have illustratively shown a circular perforated pipe or conduit 26 mounted circumferentially along the inner wall of the casing I0 and adapted to direct a spray of fiuid 21 downwardly, as indicated.

When the present device is operated, the basket 20 is first raised; the cover II is opened; and the articles to be cleaned are placed intothe. basket 20. The cover I I is then closed, and the basket is lowered into submersed position with respect to the body of fluid 23. The plunger 24 is then preferably set into operation to reciprocate vertically and thereby agitate the articles in the basket 20 and subject them thoroughly to the action of the fluid in which they are immersed. During this washing procedure, the circulatory system is continuously operated, whereby iiuid is drawn from the body 23, through the pump I5, to the lter I3, and thence back into the casing through the conduit I'I and the spraying device 26. The action of this spray upon the articles during their immersion into the body I3, and during the agitative washing procedure, is to prevent any impurities from the surface of the body of the fluid I3 from entering into or adhering to the articles in the basket.

After a predetermined period of time, the reciprocati'on of the plunger 24 is discontinued, and the basket and plunger are raised into the position of Figures 3 and 4. The circulatory system continues to operate, and during the raising of the basket no impurities from the surface of the fluid are permitted to adhere to the cleaned garments. In fact, any impurities that may be raised with the basket 20 or with thel articles therein are immediately and effectively washed out by the spraying action.

The plunger 24 may then be connected to the basket 20 and set into rotation, whereby the arthis extracting procedure is preferably conductedV at a substantially greater Vspeed than during the rinsing procedure of Figure 3'.

Finally, the articles are withdrawn from the basket 20 and they will be found to have been subjected to a thorough and highly efficient cleaning action, ready for final treatment.

In Figure 5, we have shown an arrangement whereby the basket 28 may be caused to rotate during the rinsing procedure independently of any driving action from the plunger or from any other driving member. In fact, in Figure 5, we have shown the possibility of permitting the returning iiltering fluid to serve the dual function of spraying the articles and also rotating the basket 28. In Figure 5, the inlet conduit 29 is provided with the branch 38 terminating in the spraying device 3i and with the branch 32 terminating in the nozzle 38. The latteris adapted to direct a stream of fluid against a series of suitably constructed vanes 34 provided in association with the basket 28 and adapted to cause rotation of the basket 28. Although We have shown the driving stream directed against exteriorly arranged vanes 34, nevertheless such a driving action may be accomplished in association with vanes arranged on the interior of the basket 28. Under certain circumstances, the spray 35 may itself be of a character suitable for causing a rotation of the basket 28. l

The conduit 30 is provided with a valve 28 to permit the spray to be discontinued while still continuing the rotative effect of the stream from the nozzle 38.

Although we have shown only one casing I il in association with the filter I3, we have found it satisfactory to carry out our present invention in a duplex type of apparatus wherein two work casings are connected in parallel to the filter i3. In such an event, it is most satisfactory to use the casings successively, although, under certain circumstances, they may, if desired, be used simultaneously. The successive mode of operation of two casings permits the single original quantity of uid to-.be utilized to advantage in one of the casings, while the other one is adjusted for the extracting operation indicated in Figure 4. Also, one of the casings may be emptied and refilled without impairing or interfering with the continued action of the cleaning uid on the articles in the other casing.

In general, it will be obvious thatV changes in the details herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of our invention may be made by those skilled in the art,.

without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended' claim. It is, therefore, intended that these details be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, and illustrated its use, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a dry cleaning process, the steps of submerging the articles to be cleaned in a bath of dry cleaning solvent, spraying clean solvent continuously on the surface of the bath, agitating the articles in the bath, and lifting the articles out of the bath into the spray While the surface of the bath is being sprayed.

LOUIS ANGELUS. DANIEL L. BAYLIS. 

